7 Colors of Love
by Ro-Chan
Summary: A collection of short stories about Kenshin and Kaoru. currently under revision
1. RED

**7 Colors of Love : Red

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"Good morning, Karou-dono."

The first thing I had noticed about Himura Kenshin was his bright, wild hair. It spilled messily down his back from a ponytail in a futile attempt to keep the locks in some semblance of order. I clearly remember thinking what an incredible color it was before I tried to pummel him for being Battousai, which at the time I really didn't know how correct my guess was. Who would've thought that such a skinny little man could be the infamous Battousai? To this day I still don't know what possessed me into attacking him. Nor what I would've done had Kenshin not been as sweet as he was.

I wonder what he was thinking when I attacked him? I must have frightened him somewhat… I know **I** would have been terrified if some strange woman had started swinging her wooden sword at me and accusing me of being the infamous man killer all the while spouting words of injustice. Hn… it **is** rather embarrassing, now that I think about it. I must have been a bizarre sight to behold, the poor fellow. I have to apologize to him about it somehow…

Now what was I saying? Oh yes. Kenshin's hair had to be the reddest I've ever seen in my entire life! Well… actually he is the only red head I have ever seen… okay, so even if I have never seen another red haired person, his hair color is very unusual here in Japan. It only serves to further tickle my curiosity of where he got such brilliant red hair. Did his parents have the same hair coloring? Were they foreigners? No… I remember Kenshin saying that they were farmers. So where did all that red come from?

A darker part of me whispers that it came from all the blood he shed, but I hastily destroy that thought. I don't want to believe such a vile idea. Kenshin—Kenshin is much more than the blood on his hands, and he is so kind. I think that the red comes more from the blood he's given, the internal bleeding he's had to suffer for everything. The tears of blood he had to have cried when no one was looking. Oh, Kenshin!

There are times when I want just want to hold him so tight that I want to squeeze out those persistent bad memories that haunt him. Other times I just want to shake him so hard so that all his worries would just fall away. But he keeps them so close to his heart that I wonder if I'll ever be able to get through them all before I can be that close. Will he ever let me? No. He wouldn't want to worry me. The idiot.

When is he going to learn that I worry about everything and anything! If it were the clearest day in the entire world I would worry that it may rain and ruin it! I worry! It's ingrained into my head, embedded somewhere inside my soul. Worrying was the only thing that I could do when I was alone. It was the only thing that kept me living through out the days. I worried about the dojo, the students, and other silly things. Since Yahiko, Sanosuke, Megumi, and most importantly Kenshin came around all I've done is shift from my menial worries to them.

I worry the most about him, though. He always pushes himself so much further than what is humanly possible. He's human just like the rest of us… When will people see that? When will he see that himself?

But I worry. A lot. Sometimes I worry about the silliest of things, like his hair. Today his hair was messy. I mean really messy, like he had fought with a comb and lost, **gravely**.

The red ends were standing in all sorts of directions, curling and twisting oddly. It was quite comical in a way because it seemed as if his hair was trying to run off his head hurriedly without care or concern. It amused me to think that he didn't particularly care how he looked this morning before greeting me. As if a part of his mask had finally fallen off and he allowed me to see another part of him that no one else saw.

While, yes, I can admit that getting worried over his hair may sound rather weird but I do have a reason! When I first meet Kenshin his hair was wild and messy, I'm quite sure the humidity from the fog was doing quite a number on it too. Even after I asked him to stay with me it stayed that way, wild and untamed. It wasn't until after the Shishio Makoto affair that it began to change. It became tamer, flattening down even. His bangs lost most of their bounce and just framed his face nicely. Those little hairs at the top that used to like to fly away from his face had finally conformed to the rest of the strands and began to curve downwards rather than up. It had a healthier shine too, almost like it was glowing on its own will power. It was as if his hair had realized that he had a home to come to everyday and it finally… relaxed.

Which is why I was worried. It was a small mental tick that was constantly taunting my heart reminding me of that night when Kenshin left me by the river. I couldn't help it but recall that evening, the words, and hurt. That moment will be forever carved into the back of my eyelids and I shall continue to relieve it every time I close my eyes. Even blinking could be so painful at times.

There are times that I have this dream where I am calmly talking to Kenshin about rather bland things and he tells me he has to leave again. He turns around and I desperately try to hold onto his kimono to keep him from going away. I always fail to do so though and I wake up crying clutching my covers in an iron grip.

I wonder if he has ever heard me cry those long nights?

"Kaoru-dono?"

Ah… er… Did I take to long to respond? Or was it because I was staring at him so intently… again "Good morning, Kenshin. Did you sleep well?" I asked smiling as brightly as I could, all the while trying to ignore the faint beating of my own heart. If I fainted now he might run off before I could stop him.

He stared at me for a while, most probably trying to decide if he should venture into asking why I took so long to answer or to ignore it. Oh I so hope he ignores it. I don't think that I can smile through this one right now. Eh? What's that look? Oh no! Kenshin, stop thinking about it! It's nothing! Really! Just ig—

"Is everything alright, Kaoru-dono?"

—nore it…

…Sigh…

I could feel my face turn a faint pink in embarrassment. Why do I even bother trying to hide it from the second largest worry wart (apart from me of course)? Continuing to smile, I reply softly. "Yes, I'm fine Kenshin."

He gives me a look that shows he is not at all satisfied with my response. Before he could continue to poke at the re-opened wound, I shyly pointed to the top of his head trying to keep my eyes away from his yet not fully ignoring him. "It's just that," I slowly venture, not really sure if I would sound too strange to say that his hair was taking on a mind of its own. "Your hair… it's a bit…" Wild? Unruly? Springing off the top of your head?

He rolled his eyes upward to get a better look I suppose, his left hand already reaching to pat his hair. "Oro!"

I laugh sharply then before degenerating into a fit of giggles. He had the most humorous look on his blushing face. It was somewhat torn between mortification and amusement. He turns his dark colored eyes towards me and I try very hard to control the giggles that threatened to leave my mouth. Then the most wondrous thing happens! He smiles! Not that fake, silly rurouni smile, but a real smile that sends my heart spiraling towards my stomach.

It took me a while to find my voice again and I felt daring. Reaching out, my fingertips touch his red hair with feather soft strokes. "Ne, Kenshin did you fight with your comb?" He chuckles a bit the deep rumbling tone, sending jolts of electricity through my fingertips.

"Sessha has been having trouble with it lately, de gozaru."

I smile and pull my hand back looking directly in his eyes. "Let me brush it then. My comb happens to like me very much." His eyes fly open wide and for a moment I thought he might very well deny me this tantalizing treat. But then his eyes softened and he nods slightly, agreeing to indulge me this pleasure.

My smile widens and anxiety slowly started to build from my toes helping me into an excited flight. "Sit down I'll be right back!" I think I heard him mutter a soft 'oro' as I run into my room to retrieve the wooden object. When I return, he is already sitting patiently and has let the red strands free from their imprisonment. They float softly on the soft breeze while he swings his legs underneath the low porch as he stareas out to the sky in thought. He looked so much like a little boy that I slow down my pace so I can enjoy the view longer before kneeling behind him. He merely turns to look at me before going back to stare at the white clouds that float by.

I begin slowly at the bottom working my way up, untangling all the knots I could find and essentially finding order to the chaos that was his hair. I was done after a few minutes but I continue stroking the red strands enjoying the feel of them slipping between my fingers. Kenshin didn't say anything to me as I did this. Maybe he too was enjoying it. I couldn't tell.

Again I think about how such red hair could have appeared on this man that was by every other indication, Japanese. What village could have kept such a great secret? Speaking of villages… who ever gave him his last name must have been mocking him. Honestly! Or perhaps knowing Kenshin, **he** created it. If I didn't know better I would have thought Hiko-san created such teasing name. Man from the red village… honestly why not add in short? And yet… if it were not from someone important than why would Kenshin keep it?

Before watching Kenshin and Saitou fight I had a very hard time picturing my sweet, gentle Kenshin as the killer of the rumors. Of course afterwards I had no trouble! Still, I had never seen him with his hair up. What did his enemies think when they saw him with his ponytail waving in the dark like a red banner? I was almost terrified to ask him to put it up like that for me to see. He might end up brooding the entire day and then I'd have to waste my precious energy into knocking some sense into him! Honestly! Does he think I actually **enjoy** hitting him incessantly over the head? Well… okay so I **did** enjoy it a little… BUT only when I was really angry! Kenshin, you idiot.

I really do love his hair though.

Why can't my hair be this smooth? It feels just like silk! An idea springs to my mind and I pick up a few strands and bring them to my lips kissing them softly. The silken strands tickle my lips and I giggle out of ticklish sensation or the sheer silliness I don't really know. However, Kenshin felt the kiss and he turns around his face flushed as he looks at me curiously.

"Kaoru-dono?"

I smile, closing my eyes and once again kisse the shining strands sighing against the feel of the soft tresses against my lips. Yes… I think I feel in love with his hair first before falling for the man attached to it.

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_AN:_ The thought to write this came to me when I was reading the manga in one sitting and noticed that Kenshin's hair was not as scraggily as it was in the beginning. The idea that is expressed in the story stuck to me until I could stick it down to paper. Also, the act of social grooming suggests a sort of intimacy and trust. Most people don't like to be touched so letting someone do so is a sign of friendship and trust. 

Writing Kenshin's particular speech is hard without leaving in his '_sessha, oro, _and_ de gozaru_' since there really is no English equivalent. Thus, I have left them in his speech pattern to not lose his character. Also, Kaoru is such a bubbly character that I tried to keep her thoughts as upbeat as I could without making her sound stupid. Let me know what you think. :)


	2. ORANGE

**7 Colors of Love: Orange **

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**"Kenshin, look at this! Isn't it pretty?" 

Kaoru-dono shoves the silk ribbon under my gaze and only one word ran through my mind at the sight… _'Tomoe…'_

It's kind of funny the way the mind works. How it can connect one thing to another even though there is little in common between the two. In reality there is a connection between the two ideas yet the mind works so fast, processing the information so quickly that what we see in the end is the product of all its computations. Take for instance how this orange ribbon Kaoru-dono held out to me and my initial thought of my late wife Tomoe connected together. Now there really is little association between the two and it wasn't until I slowed my thoughts down that I saw how I could even consider connecting the two strands of consciousness.

There are so many places to begin really and the hidden prompts and clues that our minds give us are interwoven within many strands of thoughts and ideas. I could begin with how Tomoe used a ribbon in her hair as well but what really started the connection was the color of the silken cloth.

Orange . Enishi wore orange. Enishi was Tomoe's little brother. Enishi was gone, disappeared from the ship that was to take him back home to Shanghai . No one, not even Saitou, quite knew were he went. After my battle with him on his island I was offered to go search for him but I declined such a thing. If the government really wanted him they could find him on their own. I was not going to help them with this. Enishi no longer possessed a threat either to Japan or to anyone here at the dojo. If he were gone for a few weeks, months, years I still would not look for him. He had just been given the greatest shock in his life… everything he had come to believe was a lie created to fuel his anger. Enishi just needs time to sort through it all and accept it.

I think it's better this way really. If I did search for him who knows how long I'd be gone? What if another from my past comes to my home and actually succeeds in killing those whom I hold dear? It's a fear that constantly scraps at the back of my mind. I can never really enjoy a moment with out thinking that any moment someone will jump out, waving around their sword screaming for revenge.

Revenge… I almost gave it to Enishi. Almost let him have what he wanted the most. But I couldn't, Tomoe just wouldn't let me. She wouldn't let me wither away and die in Rakuninmura, even though I thought that my world, my everything had been taken from me. My Kaoru.

Mine. I don't know if Kaoru would ever really like it, but she was mine. Was mine since the moment she attacked me. That was **rather** differentreally. I was used to being attacked by strangers while traveling. It was a common occurrence. Most people would judge by what they've heard, red hair, cross-shaped scar, and attack me. Well… kind of… they'd stand there for a moment insulting me before they attacked carelessly. Sometimes my height gave me a far greater advantage then most people thought. I mean how **could** the famous Hitokiri Battousai measure 5 feet? Sometimes I curse the inability to stare down rather than up to an opponent yet it does give me the advantage of surprise in a duel.

In any case, I remember her following for sometime before she actually attacked. This didn't surprise me, Kaoru-dono was smart enough to realize not to charge into a situation without thoroughly thinking it through. Of course that was then and I don't think it's ever occurred to her to continue to do this, or rather she's never felt a need to. She knows I'll protect her, which is a hindrance to her and to me. Yet she waited and followed me around for a couple of blocks that muggy night. What surprised me was that I didn't feel any threat in her; instead there was curiousness about her. I guess I had surprised her too.

Tomoe wasn't easily surprised or rather she never showed it if she was. She was always calm, demur. Not like Kaoru-dono who would rather let someone know exactly how she felt than leave them guessing at her intentions. She lacks the mystery that shrouded Tomoe like a thick coat. Yet, that was what I love about her. I have lived so long in mysteries, shady intentions, untold truths that Kaoru-dono's honesty is just refreshing. There are no hidden agendas in what she does, no fabricated lies to connive and control; just truth and a naiveté that has me in a constant mother hen fashion. It was what made me choose her over Megumi-dono… not that I would have ever **tried** to really… Sano would have hounded my hide for decades.

I miss Sano… he's already been gone for two weeks and I have yet to hear word on his whereabouts. I'm a little hurt as well. I could have helped him but I would have to go against everything he hated about the Meiji government. No, I couldn't help him to stay in Japan , but I wish there was something I could do. He is my best friend and the love I have for him could never be explained in its fullness. Just like my love for Kaoru-dono could never be contained in such a small box of frivolous words and actions.

Tomoe never like the frivolous either. As much as she was secretive, Tomoe was direct and nonplused about the way she said and did things. There was little to no question about her intentions, yet that was what made her so deceiving and manipulative. In the end she had only deceived herself and had managed to do the one thing she had not intended to do—love the man she loathed.

When I was told Tomoe was the traitor, I vehemently denied such a thing. In my heart I knew there were always suspicions about her but I **knew** that there was love in her eyes for me. All it took was to read a few passages in her journal for my world to crash around me. I thought I had died then… who knew that it would be later that it would really be true. It took me months to read her journal all the way through. It was such a private thing I just could not make myself do it. I was glad I did though. I had been worried for a long time that she had never really loved me. She had never said so, but then again neither had I.

"Kenshin, look at this! Isn't it pretty?"

Tomoe would never wear such a brilliant color as orange. No, she was milder and less vivacious then Kaoru. It was that liveliness that drew me to her, like a moth to a flame. I just couldn't help it really. Kaoru just demanded that kind of attention. This is why I always tried to accompany her wherever she went as there were always lingering eyes that I did not want on my Kaoru.

I want to say that since everything that has happened with Enishi things have returned to normal, but I can't lie to myself that well. Ever since we've returned to Tokyo I've been following Kaoru like a hawk. Now I'm not paranoid, just worried that a repeat of what happened at the dojo will occur. I don't think I can go through such a traumatic experience like that again. Kaoru doesn't deserve to die by my past faults. She doesn't deserve to be stained by my hands.

I haven't told her yet what happened to me those days when she was kidnapped. I can't quite form the words around the lump that settles in my throat whenever I attempt to. How could I explain to her that my life was no longer worth living because she was gone? That any hopes I had for a future had died away with her that fateful day? How could I say these things to her without causing her to cry or feel guilty over the power she had over me? How could **I** not fall apart into pieces just remembering? I had been so broken then—I thought I would never be put back together.

I do not ever wish for Tomoe's death, but I cannot help but wonder what I would have done if she was still alive and I would have meet Kaoru. I'm almost afraid to answer such a question. Tomoe owned my heart but Kaoru—Kaoru owns my soul, my very being. I think—**know** I could never live without her.

"Kenshin?"

I blink back into reality my mind awakening from the spiraling thoughts and anxieties. There was such a sad look painted across her beautiful face that it broke my heart. Such a look didn't belong there and it hurt worse because I knew I was the cause of her worry and sadness.

"Yes, Kaoru-dono, it is very pretty, de gozaru yo." I try to give her a warm smile but fail madly. Her worry was not alleviated and the doubts that swam through her eyes grew. I wish I wasn't so good at brooding, actually I wish I didn't do it so often. I certainly didn't like divulging into my darkest thoughts and reliving each painful moment second after second. It couldn't be helped sometimes… I was genuinely happy about the ribbon and thought that it would be perfect for Kaoru, but Tomoe seeped into my thoughts and altered the moment.

Kaoru never pushed me to explain my bouts of depression and I was thankful for that but I also wished she did. I wanted to share my everything with her like she did for me, but like I couldn't bring myself to tell her about those days in Rakuninmura, I couldn't pass my burden onto her. Kaoru was infinitely patient though and I knew eventually I'd tell her things, small things, if only to relieve her of her pain.

Kaoru returns her attention to the ribbon, her excitement about it not as bright as it was before hand. "Yes it is." She places the silk cloth back to its original position and gives me a bright, if forced smile. "Let's go home Kenshin."

Though it was the same words she said when we all returned from Kyoto after the Shishio Makoto affair, it did not carry the same tone.

"Wait, Kaoru-dono." I turn to face the vendor and pick up the ribbon Kaoru previously laid down. "Sessha would like to purchase this please." The man behind the stand smiles gently and takes the piece of material to wrap.

"But Kenshin…" Kaoru starts to protest pulling on my kimono sleeve gently. I just turn to her and smile softly inwardly grinning as she blushes prettily. The vendor clears his throat and we exchange payment for the object. Once the transaction was finished I walk ahead of Kaoru back towards the dojo trying very hard not to look back at the confusion that I was sure was etched on her fair face.

It wasn't until we arrived in the privacy of our home that I face Kaoru again. She pouts her pink lips at me and I resist the urge to laugh. There were many differences between Kaoru and Tomoe, and though Tomoe will always carry a piece of my heart there will always be more than enough room for Kaoru and her bright orange ribbon.

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_AN:_ Firstly, a large **Thank You** for all the reviews! I really do appreciate them and they make my day so very much. Okay, I had to put a note here simply because I lost my original train of thought... Orange is a hard color to connect to Kenshin, not like red. The only thing I could think of was Enishi's pants which took the idea everywhere. 

_Correction notes_: In re-visiting this chapter I noticed a flaw in Kenshin's thinking. Firstly, he would never think ill of Tomoe, especially to putting her to blame for the change in his mood. Also, I fixed the glaring present/past tense errors.


	3. YELLOW

_AN:_ Long time no see right? I bet you all thought I died or something. Well I didn't... just discovered DeviantArt.com, the FanFiction.net for art. ^___^

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**7 Colors of Love**

**Yellow**

"YAHIKO!" I screamed smacking the spike haired youth on the top of his head with my fist. It was particularly satisfying watching a large bump began to grow through the mounds of dark hair. My blue eyes were blazing, teeth grinding down as a growl escaped my lips. "Look what you did!" I waved my hand across the dark stain on my kimono from the tea he threw at me.

Yahiko stuck his tongue out at me, his cinnamon eyes flashing angrily. "Not like it's that big of a deal busu! It's so old and ugly anyway! Besides it makes you look fat!" He laughed loudly and taking a few precautionary steps back.

How I suddenly wished there was a shinai in my hands so I could whack him some more. Instead I let out a gurgled screech lunging at him with my hands outstretched ready to strangle and beat some sense into the impudent little punk. Lucky for the short brat Kenshin was there waving his arms frantically before me, he held onto my arms and in my blind fury I just switched my attack from Yahiko to Kenshin.

I began to slam my fists onto whatever flesh I could find. I was so angry… angry and hurt. This was my favorite kimono. The last gift my father gave me before… before…

"Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked softly, his voice carrying tones of concern. It wasn't until her spoke to me that I realized that it was hard to breath, that there was a tightness in my chest… that I was crying.

"Kaoru-dono?" He asked again as I calmed down and hung my head in shame. I was worrying him again… sending my frustrations on him again. I'm so pathetic. He's got enough to worry about—enough sadness for the both of us really. He doesn't need to see me like this—doesn't need another sadness to enter into his life.

I said nothing and just shook holding back the sobs that eventually escaped past my lips. I could feel his dark violet eyes boring into my skull wondering why I was such a mess, probably also asking why I was so pathetic, crying over a stain. But he never said anything and just drew me in for a hug and patted my head softly. I cried harder then. It was something my father used to do.

"Yellow is my favorite color," I told my father once. "It's like sunshine! It makes me happy!" It was such a naïve and childish thing to say but it was true. There was something about the glowing orb that would swallow me up with an undefeatable happiness. The sun didn't just affect me. It affected the other children, adults in the market place, flowers, trees, everything living was touched by the sun and given a small amount of happiness and energy to carry out the rest of the day.

"And you're my sunshine, because you make me happy." He responded caressing the top of my dark head with calloused fingers. I never forgot how happy that made me.

When my father's assistance was requested for the war I begged with him not to go. The day before he left he presented to me a package wrapped in brown colored paper and string. Inside was a yellow kimono with bright butterflies fluttering about the material.

"So that you remember that you are my sunshine, Karou." He said. "Shine brightly so that I can come back to you. But most of all so that you can be wrapped in sunshine and be happy." I cried so hard hugging the kimono to my chest. He had remembered what I had said so long ago.

The next day, when he left, I wore the kimono in hopes that the sadness that would consume my heart may be lit by the brightness of the cloth. It still hurt, but the kimono was soft and reminded me of his words. Everyday I wore that kimono in hopes that he would return quicker. The sadness I felt would disappear a little as I went about my days. Then one day I tripped and dirtied my kimono so I had changed… then I received the letter of my father's death with only two words carried over by a soldier: "My sunshine."

I had felt as if I had not shone brightly enough and my father had lost his way home. I made yellow a bigger part in my life after that, trading in my white gi for a yellow colored one. I would be my father's sunshine in everything I did. I would shine brightly everyday, making sure I was happy and that others were too. I would be my father's sunshine.

Then Kenshin came and I found I wanted to be his sunshine, to live my life shining brightly on him and making him happy.

I stopped crying but Kenshin had not stopped his rhythmic petting nor had he loosened his hold around my shoulders. I pulled away slowly not knowing what to say, how to explain. I shivered missing the warmth his body had momentarily provided. I didn't want to. I wasn't ready to say it. We were silent for a very long time.

"Why don't you change Kaoru-dono, I'll wash your kimono right away." Kenshin never asked me why I had cried instead he began to clean up the split tea and cups that had fallen all over the tatami floor.

I watched him briefly as he crouched over the straw mats and lifted the clay cups carefully. He paused momentarily and looked at me with his fathomless eyes. A lump grew in my throat as I struggled to find words and he just smiled.

It was then that a part of me realized that I had stopped being his sunshine and he had become mine. Kenshin my sunshine, my happiness.

"Thank you, Kenshin."

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_AN:_ Well, I know a lot of people reading this thought I was going to match yellow with Battousai's eyes. Though that is really a good idea I feel it's been over done and very unoriginal. When I was thinking of something other than that yellow eyes, I saw Kaoru's kimono, the one she always wears, and thought of this. Hopefully this was a bit more emotionally fulfilling. And don't worry Battousai will be bought on later. ^___^


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